My students are amazing. The concepts they come up with and discussions we have are
priceless. Seeing growth is pretty incredible. It’s like planting a flower seed and
watching it bloom.

Hannah Lucien, '13 BSED

Following in the footsteps of her family’s devotion to education and public service,
Hannah Lucien came to teaching naturally.

“My family is what they are today because of education,” says Hannah, whose family
has deep roots in Haiti. “My father was the first out of nine children to come to
the United States on scholarship and earn a college education. Today my family has
several schools and churches throughout Northern Haiti – and they are the hardest
working people I have ever known.

“How could I not want to be like them?” she adds, smiling. But the positive influence
on her life of so many teachers, coaches and professors really made the difference
in choosing a career in education, says Hannah.

As a dedicated teacher, she wants to believe in her students like her mentors believed
in her. She plans to continue to rise to their expectations, both in her daily class
work and goals for the future. “I definitely want to obtain my master’s degree, be
a positive role model for my students and be the teacher they will always remember.
We all have one teacher that we can never forget.” But it goes both ways, she believes,
noting how her classes energize her.

“My students are amazing. The concepts they come up with and discussions we have are
priceless. Seeing growth is pretty incredible. It’s like planting a flower seed and
watching it bloom.”

Hannah, herself, bloomed at DSC, having chosen the College of Education for its faculty,
observing their passion and dedication. “They absolutely put it all together for me
– my dream of becoming a teacher came to be a reality. The program gave me a grounding
and a focus on the day-to-day organization to do the job well. I absolutely love all
of my professors; they truly want the best for their students. They are my best college
memory.”

Realizing the need for more quality teachers, Hannah advises anyone with compassion
and a love of children should consider the profession. “Do it! But only become a teacher
for the RIGHT reasons. If you love kids, value education and are compassionate, then
you can do it and you’ll be great. Be flexible, set high expectations and give your
students your very best each and every day.”